Wednesday 12 July 1665

After doing what business I could in the morning, it being a solemn fast-day1 for the plague growing upon us, I took boat and down to Deptford, where I stood with great pleasure an houre or two by my Lady Sandwich’s bedside, talking to her (she lying prettily in bed) of my Lady Jemimah’s being from my Lady Pickering’s when our letters come to that place; she being at my Lord Montagu’s, at Boughton. The truth is, I had received letters of it two days ago, but had dropped them, and was in a very extraordinary straite what to do for them, or what account to give my Lady, but sent to every place; I sent to Moreclacke, where I had been the night before, and there they were found, which with mighty joy come safe to me; but all ending with satisfaction to my Lady and me, though I find my Lady Carteret not much pleased with this delay, and principally because of the plague, which renders it unsafe to stay long at Deptford. I eat a bit (my Lady Carteret being the most kind lady in the world), and so took boat, and a fresh boat at the Tower, and so up the river, against tide all the way, I having lost it by staying prating to and with my Lady, and, from before one, made it seven ere we got to Hampton Court; and when I come there all business was over, saving my finding Mr. Coventry at his chamber, and with him a good while about several businesses at his chamber, and so took leave, and away to my boat, and all night upon the water, staying a while with Nan at Moreclacke, very much pleased and merry with her, and so on homeward, and come home by two o’clock, shooting the bridge at that time of night, and so to bed, where I find Will is not, he staying at Woolwich to come with my wife to dinner tomorrow to my Lady Carteret’s. Heard Mr. Williamson repeat at Hampton Court to-day how the King of France hath lately set out a most high arrest against the Pope, which is reckoned very lofty and high.1

“A form of Common Prayer; together with an order for fasting for the averting of God’s heavy visitation upon many places of this realm. The fast to be observed within the cities of London and Westminster and places adjacent, on Wednesday the twelfth of this instant July, and both there and in all parts of this realm on the first Wednesday in every month during the visitation” (“Calendar of State Papers,” Domestic, 1664-65, p. 466). ↩

Arret. The rupture between Alexander VII. and Louis XIV. was healed in 1664, by the treaty signed at Pisa, on February 12th. On August 9th, the pope’s nephew, Cardinal Chigi, made his entry into Paris, as legate, to give the king satisfaction for the insult offered at Rome by the Corsican guard to the Duc de Crequi, the French ambassador; (see January 25th, 1662-63). Cardinal Imperiali, Governor of Rome, asked pardon of the king in person, and all the hard conditions of the treaty were fulfilled. But no arret against the pope was set forth in 1665. On the contrary, Alexander, now wishing to please the king, issued a constitution on February 2nd, 1665, ordering all the clergy of France, without any exception, to sign a formulary condemning the famous five propositions extracted from the works of Jansenius; and on April 29th, the king in person ordered the parliament to register the bull. The Jansenist party, of course, demurred to this proceeding; the Bishops of Alais, Angers, Beauvais, and Pamiers, issuing mandates calling upon their clergy to refuse. It was against these mandates, as being contrary to the king’s declaration and the pope’s intentions, that the arret was directed. — B. ↩

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Annotations

July 12/22, De Ruyter learns of the defeat at Lowestoft, and from Norwegian sailors that his passage from Ireland and the Faroes had been reported and that the English fleet were cruising in the hope of intercepting him.

a. Of domestic poultry: to make a characteristic sound; spec. (of a cock) to crow (obs.); (of a hen) to cluck, esp. to make the loud clucking noise associated with laying an egg (regional in later use). In origin perh. an extended use of sense 2, although recorded slightly earlier. 2. intr.

a. To talk or chatter; to speak foolishly, boastfully, or at great length, esp. to little purpose; to prattle. Formerly also: to tell tales or inform against someone (obs.). Also fig.

Six hours pulling against the tide! You'd need at least a couple of 'sturdy rogues' for that trip. Presumably the tide would have been against them again for the return trip, unless they decided to cut their losses and wait for the next ebb tide to take them back to the city.

Subject Pepys, Clerk of the Acts for the Naval Office was targeted as susceptible based on observation (and how, "Nan" grins, writing) and was approached. The subject proved quite susceptible and encouraged a rendezvous at Moreclacke on the 11th. During the course of events subject revealed information as to antagonisms developing between the Lord High Admiral, His Grace the Duke of York and the Lord Sandwich, Edward Montagu. The Prince Rupert is also a party to these antagonisms which may prove important since it is likely he and Sandwich will soon share a joint command over the fleet, given the intention of the King to remove the Duke from operational command of the fleet for his safety. Subject also indicated serious problems in the administration of the Tangier colony, particularly regarding finances. I recommend investigation of the possibility of an approach to the members of the garrison. Finally, subject had on him letters of confidential though personal nature regarding a matrimonial alliance between the Montagu and Carteret families. The letters were temporarily held before being restored to the subject on the 12th and copies are enclosed. Given recent speculation as to the declining position of Montagu in the current regime this information may be of significance.

All efforts will be made to continue the operation as subject Pepys shows no indications of suspicion and considerable (and I means, considerable...The things I do for the Republic, "Nan" sighs) interest in continuing the relationship.

Froude's "Lectures of the Council of Trent", Voltaire's "Age of Louis XIV" and Pascal's "Provincial Letters" were required undergraduate reading not so long ago. There are some places a young man's mind just did not want to go, but today an old man's mind might find them engaging if only he had the energy.

'Tis is the age of speaking out writely[sic] or wrongly ; there be over 2 K reverends of the protesting group along with others of Roman flavouring and others that be trying to level the field and other socialistic tendances,, all asking for freedom of thought for themselves and trying to put a cork in the other mouths.

Elizabeth Pepys is safely ensconced away from London on the Thames at Woolwich; My Lady Sandwich is on the Thames at Deptford, close in to London, where it is "unsafe to stay long." Is there a move of the latter in the offing, perhaps back to the Sandwich House Hinchingbrooke?! http://www.hinchhouse.org.uk/edward/edward2.html

*_____ _____ A form of Common Prayer, together with an order for fasting for the averting of Gods heavy visitation upon many places of this realm. The fast to be observ'd within the cities of London and Westminster and places adjacent, on Wednesday the twelfth of this instant July, and both there and in all parts of this realm, on the first Wednesday in every moneth during the visitation*. London: John Bill and Christopher Barker, 1665.

Benjamin Franklin had a copy of this and copies of similar documents in his library when he died (April 17, 1790)

For those interested Franklin's copy is held now by 'The Library Company of Philadelphia', founded by Franklin in 1731 and America's first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution; now a great independent research Library. Among many others over the years it was used by the delegates to the first (1774) and second (1775/6) Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention of 1787.